Police News from the May 29 edition of the Cranford Chronicle

Cranford
A Cranford man was charged with drug possession and other charges after he was stopped for using a handheld cell phone and driving without his headlights on Sunday, May 24.

Saul Arruda Jr., 32, was charged after he was stopped by Officer Thomas Stainsen at 10:22 p.m. at the intersection of North Avenue East and Elizabeth Avenue for motor vehicle violations. Arruda was taken into custody on an outstanding traffic warrant from Newark and cocaine and paraphernalia were found in his possession, according to police.

Arruda was charged with possession of cocaine, possession of paraphernalia, possession of a hypodermic syringe, possession of prescription drugs without a prescription, operating a vehicle without lights, and using a handheld cell phone while driving.

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A Garwood woman was charged with driving while intoxicated and other charges after police responded to the scene of a car accident on Sunday, May 24.
Melissa Mehalick, 47, was charged after Office Brian Lopez responded to the accident at 3:30 a.m. on Walnut Avenue near Mitchell Place.
Mehalick, who hit a tree, was reportedly found to be intoxicated. She was additionally charged with careless driving and possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle.
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A Newark man was charged with driving while intoxicated and other charges after he was stopped for having illegal purple headlights on Tuesday, May 19.
Steven Holmes, 30, was charged after he was stopped by Officer Steven D'Ambola at 9:31 p.m. at the intersection of North Avenue East and Carpenter Place and found to be intoxicated, according to police.
Holmes was additionally charged with driving with a suspended license, being an unlicensed driver, and improper headlights.
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An Irvington man was charged with possession of marijuana after the vehicle he was a passenger in was stopped for having illegally tinted windows on Saturday, May 23.
Malik Martin, 25, was charged after the vehicle was stopped by Officer Brian Lopez at 10:39 p.m. at the intersection of Centennial Avenue and Hayes Street.
During the stop, the driver was issued summons for having illegally tinted windows and Martin was allegedly found with narcotics in his possession.
Martin was additionally charged with possession of paraphernalia.
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A Linden man was charged with possession of marijuana after the vehicle he was passenger in was stopped because the front seat passenger was not wearing a seatbelt on Saturday, May 23.
Tyrell Baker, 18, was charged after the vehicle was stopped by Officer Spencer Durkin at 10:42 p.m. at the intersection of Centennial Avenue and Cayuga Road. During the investigation, Barker was reportedly found to have narcotics in his possession.
He was additionally charged with possession of paraphernalia.

Kenilworth
A Roselle Park man was charged with filing a false police report after the Kenilworth Police Department internal affairs unit investigated his claim that an officer damaged his motorcycle helmet.
Edward Domkos, 32, claimed that Officer Valerie Smith damaged his motorcycle helmet after she stopped him for allegedly running a red light just after midnight on Sunday, May 10.
An investigation by Captain Scott Phillips, including a review of patrol car video of the stop, revealed that Domkos damaged his own helmet after throwing it to the ground shortly after being stopped by Smith.
Phillips issued a complaint summons for a fourth degree offense of unsworn falsification against Domkos who was arrested on Wednesday May 20.
Domkos was released on his own recognizance pending an appearance in Superior Court.
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A Union man was charged with disorderly conduct after he was allegedly involved in a verbal and physical altercation on Friday, May 22.
Brian Goger, 27, was charged after he was stopped by Officer Robert Cox on Galloping Hill Road at 2:50 a.m. as he left a party at the Kenilworth Inn.
He reportedly continued in the altercation after police arrived at the scene.
Goger was later released pending a court appearance.

Garwood
A man and a woman from Westfield were charged with underage consumption of alcohol after they came to police headquarters while intoxicated to report an argument on Sunday, May 24.
Jobin Matthew, 19, and Amanda Smith, 18, came to police headquarters at 1:22 a.m. to report a confrontation at a private residence on South Avenue.
However, Officer David Perrotta found that Matthew and Smith were both under the influence of alcohol at the time.
They were both detained and later released pending court appearances.
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An Edison woman was charged with driving under the influence after she was reportedly found asleep behind the wheel of her car on Saturday, May 16.
Marianne Magsaysay, 21, was charged after Officer David Perrotta found her car stopped for no visible reason in the eastbound lane on the 10 block of North Avenue at 1:05 a.m.
Magsaysay, who allegedly smelled strongly of alcohol, failed a field sobriety test and failed a breath test at police headquarters, according to reports.
She was later released pending a court appearance.
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An Edison man was charged with criminal mischief after he reportedly scratched a car he mistakenly believed to be his own on Monday, May 25.
Joseph O'Donnell, 32, was charged after Officers Mario Morelli and David Perrotta responded to the 600 block of Center Street at 4:54 p.m. on a report by a homeowner that a man was trying to enter their locked car.
O'Donnell, who reportedly was acting confused and smelled of alcohol, was attempting to unlock the car with his keys when officers responded and had allegedly caused some scratches.
He was taken into custody and was later released pending a court appearance.